Group work support method, computer-readable recording medium, and group supporting apparatus for recognizing density of discussions and activity levels of individuals

Abstract

A method of supporting a group work includes collecting input contents, which are input by participants via terminals, from the terminals; arranging the collected input contents into input content groups based on groups to which the participants belong; setting a representative flag on each of representative input contents selected from the respective input content groups; extracting the representative input contents and matching input contents, which match a predetermined extracting condition and are different from the representative input contents, from the collected input contents; and displaying a list of the representative input contents and the matching input contents on a display device that all the participants are able to view at a same time.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of supporting a group work, the method comprising:
 collecting input contents, which are input with respect to a same agenda by participants via terminals, from the terminals; 
 arranging the collected input contents into input content groups based on groups to which the participants belong; 
 setting representative input contents selected from the respective input content groups; 
 specifying one or more groups having a high activity level of the group work, by
 referring to a determination database storing categories of the input contents and keywords corresponding to the categories, and 
 identifying one or more of the groups whose input contents include a predetermined number or more of the keywords stored in the determination database; 
 
 extracting the representative input contents, and condition-matched input contents, which match a predetermined extracting condition and are different from the representative input contents, for each of one or more specified groups from the collected input contents, in which the extracting of the condition-matched input contents is suppressed for the groups other than the one or more specified groups having the high activity level; and 
 displaying a list for the same agenda by one screen on a display device that all the participants are able to view at a same time, the list arranging the representative input contents by corresponding to the input content groups, respectively, in which extracted condition-matched input contents are arranged by corresponding to the one or more specified groups of the input content groups. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein in the identifying, one or more of the groups whose input contents include the predetermined number of the keywords that correspond to the categories other than the categories corresponding to the representative input contents are identified. 
 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 acquiring a log of communications between the terminals for each of the groups; 
 storing the log in a log database; and 
 identifying one or more of the groups whose log includes a number of characters that is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. 
 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying opposing input contents, which are input contents that include the keywords corresponding to a category that is opposite to the category of the representative input contents, on the display device; and 
 displaying related input contents, which are input contents that include the keywords corresponding to a category that is related to the category of the representative input contents, on the display device. 
 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the input contents of the participants belonging to one of the groups are displayed next to each other on the terminals of the participants. 
 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein on the display device, the representative input contents or the opposing or related input contents are displayed on a same display area by selecting one of tabs corresponding to the representative input contents and the opposing or related input contents. 
 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein on the display device, the representative input contents and the opposing or related input contents are displayed in different display areas. 
 
     
     
       8. A method of supporting a group work, the method comprising:
 collecting input contents, which are input with respect to a same agenda by participants via terminals, from the terminals; 
 arranging the collected input contents into input content groups based on groups to which the participants belong; 
 setting a representative flag on each of representative input contents selected from the respective input content groups; 
 specifying one or more groups having a high activity level of the group work, by
 referring to a determination database storing categories of the input contents and keywords corresponding to the categories, and 
 identifying one or more of the groups whose input contents include a predetermined number or more of the keywords stored in the determination database; 
 
 extracting the representative input contents and the input contents of a participant whose representing number, which indicates a number of times that the representative flag is set, is less than or equal to a predetermined value, for each of one or more specified groups from the collected input contents, in which the extracting of the input contents is suppressed for the groups other than the one or more specified groups having the high activity level; and 
 displaying a list for the same agenda by one screen on a display device that all the participants are able to view at a same time, the list arranging the representative input contents by corresponding to the input content groups, respectively, in which extracted condition-matched input contents are arranged by corresponding to the one or more specified groups of the input content groups. 
 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein, when the input contents of the participant are displayed on the display device, the representing number of the participant is increased in a representing number database. 
 
     
     
       10. A method of supporting a group work, the method comprising:
 collecting input contents, which are input with respect to a same agenda by participants via terminals, from the terminals; 
 arranging the collected input contents into input content groups based on groups to which the participants belong; 
 setting a representative flag on each of representative input contents selected from the respective input content groups; 
 specifying one or more groups having a high activity level of the group work, by
 referring to a determination database storing categories of the input contents and keywords corresponding to the categories, and 
 identifying one or more of the groups whose input contents include a predetermined number or more of the keywords stored in the determination database; 
 
 extracting the representative input contents and the input contents, which include a predetermined keyword previously registered for comments in a comment added opinion database and are different from the representative input contents, for each of one or more specified groups from the collected input contents, in which the extracting of the input contents is suppressed for the groups other than the one or more specified groups having the high activity level; and 
 displaying a list for the same agenda by one screen on a display device that all the participants are able to view at a same time, the list arranging the representative input contents by corresponding to the input content groups, respectively, in which extracted condition-matched input contents are arranged by corresponding to the one or more specified groups of the input content groups. 
 
     
     
       11. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 each of the participants belongs to one of the groups; and 
 for the same agenda, the list is displayed on the display device at the same time for the participants to compare the representative input contents and the input contents among the groups of the participants. 
 
     
     
       12. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying the collected input contents, which are received via the terminals from the participants belonging to a same group, at the terminals of the same group for each of the groups, when the input contents are collected; and 
 receiving one representative input content which is selected at a leader terminal in the same group for each of the groups. 
 
     
     
       13. The method as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein
 each of the participants belongs to one of the groups; and 
 for the same agenda, the list is displayed on the display device at the same time for the participants to compare the representative input contents and the extracted input contents among the groups of the participants. 
 
     
     
       14. The method as claimed in  claim 8 , further comprising:
 displaying the collected input contents, which are received via the terminals from the participants belonging to a same group, at the terminals of the same group for each of the groups, when the input contents are collected; and 
 receiving one representative input content which is selected at a leader terminal in the same group for each of the groups. 
 
     
     
       15. The method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein
 each of the participants belongs to one of the groups; and 
 for the same agenda, the list is displayed on the display device at the same time for the participants to compare the representative input contents and the input contents among the groups of the participants. 
 
     
     
       16. The method as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 displaying the collected input contents, which are received via the terminals from the participants belonging to a same group, at the terminals of the same group for each of the groups, when the input contents are collected; and 
 receiving one representative input content which is selected at a leader terminal in the same group for each of the groups. 
 
     
     
       17. The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the list is displayed in a matrix format on the display device.